Exeter High graduate set to compete on 'Jeopardy'

EXETER — As a member of the Exeter High School academic decathlon team, Suzanne Judson Whitehouse kind of thought of herself as a geek.

Aaron Sanborn

EXETER — As a member of the Exeter High School academic decathlon team, Suzanne Judson Whitehouse kind of thought of herself as a geek.

While it may not have been the most popular club or team to be a part of at the time, the 1987 EHS alum said the experience helped to get her where she is today: on the popular television quiz show "Jeopardy."

"When I was on the (academic decathlon) team I never would've dreamt that I'd be on 'Jeopardy,'" she said. "But now, I guess it's cool to be a geek."

The self-proclaimed geek will be more like a celebrity when about 20 of her close friends and family gather at her home Friday, Dec. 2, to view her appearance on the show.

Whitehouse, 42, said being on "Jeopardy" was never a long-term goal.

The idea first crossed her mind four years ago when a friend told her about an online test for the show.

Whitehouse said she took the test, received an audition and was placed in a pool of possible contestants.

While that opportunity never materialized years ago, Whitehouse gave it another try last winter and received another audition.

In September, she was asked to be on the show.

"I was completely shocked, surprised and excited," she said.

Whitehouse said she was given a few weeks' notice about her appearance on the show and flew to Culver City, Calif., with her husband in October.

"I was really nervous," she said. "You know that you're going to be nervous because you don't know what to expect. But the people who work at the studio and the other contestants made it so fun. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Because the show has yet to air, Whitehouse was unable to talk about how she did. She did admit that there were some challenging moments.

"It's so much easier playing at home than it is being on the show," she said.

There were also times when Whitehouse knew the answer to a question but didn't ring in first.

"Timing with the button is a challenge," she said. "Everyone seems to know the answers; it's all about the timing."

Whitehouse, who works as a program coordinator in the education field, describes herself as a trivia buff. She said her services are currently in high demand among her friend's trivia teams.

While she enjoys trivia and playing "Jeopardy" at home, Whitehouse never thought of herself as the type who could be on the show.

"It didn't occur to me that I could do this," she said.

She said anyone who is curious about being on the show should try taking the online test.

"Just take it. It's a lot of fun," she said. "I think the coolest part of all of this is how much you learn in the process. And you get to meet some fantastic people."

That includes longtime "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek.

"It was very cool meeting him," she said. "He was super gracious."

Whitehouse currently resides in Greenfield, Mass., with her husband and two children. She grew up in Exeter and attended the University of New Hampshire after graduating from EHS.

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